November 12th — Weekly COVID-19 Update

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela

This week, Governor Northam took several new steps to provide relief to Virginia communities, and I wanted to make sure you had the latest updates:

Each year on Veterans Day, the nation pauses to thank the brave men and women who either have served or continue to serve our country. The sacrifices they make in service to the nation are immeasurable.

November is Native American Heritage Month. This month and every month, let us celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and history and acknowledge the important contributions of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States. The U.S. Office of Minority Health will focus on raising awareness about the health disparities impacting the American Indian/Alaska Native community and highlight the importance of staying healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health

• Currently, 198,027 cases have been reported in Virginia.
• COVIDWISE is an exposure notification app that will alert users if they have been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.
• Health officials highlight the importance of community health as Virginians head into the flu season. Please click here for an infographic on what to do if you have confirmed or suspected the flu or COVID-19. The Virginia Department of Health also developed guidance for college students returning home from campus and their families.
• The Brave of Heart Fund has been established to provide support to the family members of eligible frontline health care workers who lost their lives due to COVID-19. The grants can help offset expenses such as funeral costs, medical care, counseling, food, education, mortgage payments, and living expenses.

Housing Security

• Virginia’s Rent and Mortgage Relief Program (RMRP) provides short-term financial assistance on behalf of households in the form of rent and mortgage payments. To conduct a self-assessment for eligibility, please visit dhcd.virginia.gov/eligibility or call 211 VIRGINIA by dialing 2–1–1 from your phone.
• http://StayHomeVirginia.com contains tools, information, and resources for renters, homeowners, landlords, and people experiencing homelessness.

Employment & the Economy

• The Rebuild VA Grant Program received an additional 30 million dollars, recently expanded its eligibility criteria, and increased the amount of grant money businesses receive. Businesses with less than $10 million in gross revenue or fewer than 250 employees will be eligible under the new criteria, and the maximum grant award will increase from $10,000 to $100,000.
• The Re-Employing Virginians (REV) Initiative provides scholarships to eligible individuals to enroll in a workforce or community college program in five essential industries, including health care, information technology, skilled trades, public safety, and early childhood education.
• FINIMPACT: https://www.finimpact.com/covid-19-coronavirus-smbs/.
• Annuity.org: https://www.annuity.org/financial-literacy/covid-19-financial-guide/

Education

• The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has developed comprehensive guidance to aid schools in planning for a return to in-person instruction and activities. “Recover, Redesign, Restart” is available at doe.virginia.gov. You can also find additional resources for parents, teachers, school nurses, etc. here.

Public Assistance Programs

• Governor Northam announced that the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) has been awarded more than $3.5 million in competitive federal funding to help vulnerable youth in Virginia.
• The STOP School Violence grant will fund a 36-month Virginia C.A.R.E.S. project to build Caring, Awareness, Recognition, Engagement, and Support in schools. The initiative works to increase mental health awareness and enhance the safety and well-being of educational settings by helping to create positive school climates, awareness of resources, recognition of at-risk behaviors, and engagement with the community.

Prince William County — General Updates

• OmniRide is embarking on a transportation education/awareness campaign geared towards the Hispanic community within Prince William County. They are hosting a virtual Hispanic Council Meeting on Dec. 9th, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, to hear from residents about the transportation needs and challenges in the County, as well as how best to reach out and engage with the Hispanic community. To RSVP, please email nkahn@OminRide.com. This event is available to all who RSVP.
• Effective November 2nd, the Prince William County Food Helpline will operate from Monday to Thursday, between 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The helpline is no longer open on Fridays. The phone number remains the same — 703.794.4668. Bilingual volunteers staff the phones.

Prince William County — Health

• Currently, 15,546 cases have been reported in Prince William County.
• The Legal Services of Northern Virginia received a grant through the Potomac Health Foundation to help individuals in Prince William County (PWC) with issues surrounding Medicaid and the Marketplace, including help with application assistance, analyzing eligibility, or representing individuals in Medicaid appeals. Please contact Susan Nolan at 703–647–4748 or susan@enroll-virginia.com.

Prince William County — Education

• Veteran Spotlight: Supervisor of Student Health Services Teresa Polk credits the nursing experience and leadership skills she gained in the military as preparing her to manage student health initiatives in a large school division and, in particular, her key role in navigating PWCS through the current COVID-19 pandemic.
• The STAR program is a free tutoring program that focuses on remediation of standards not mastered in high school reading and writing, as well as algebra I and geometry. The tutoring and remediation sessions, delivered over Zoom with STAR Program Canvas support. Sessions are delivered by a PWCS licensed teacher, and are free of charge to PWCS high school students and those middle school students enrolled in a high school English course, algebra I, or geometry.
• Effective today, the service times for curbside pickup of weekly grocery kits will be Mondays and Thursdays from 11:00 am to 5:00pm. PWCS continues to prepare and serve food at these school sites. All food is free of charge to students aged 18 and younger.

Prince William County — Employment

• To help those who have lost their jobs in the pandemic, Prince William County has partnered with Virginia Career Works to launch ELEVATE. This program provides no-cost employment assistance to members of the community, including training programs, job placement services, and more.

Prince William County — Transportation

• The Route 1 Widening project nears completion. Drivers now have six travel lanes and bicyclists and pedestrians have a continuous shared-use path and sidewalk from Marys Way to Annapolis Way, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
• This project aims to reduce congestion and improve safety for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians, as well as enhance access to the Woodbridge Virginia Railway Express kiss-and-ride facility.

Prince William County — COVID-19 Testing

• Free COVID-19 Testing available for residents who live and work in Prince William County, the City of Manassas, and the City of Manassas Park. Participants must provide their full name, telephone number, and a home or work address in Prince William County, the City of Manassas, and the City of Manassas Park to obtain COVID testing and receive the results. To ensure you receive a test please arrive at the site as close as possible to the start time and ensure you are in line by the time posted below.
• Friday, November 13, 2020 | Start Time 1:30 PM — Splashdown Water Park, 7500 Ben Lomond Park Rd., Manassas, VA 20109
• [Please be in line by 3:30 pm]
• Friday, November 13, 2020 | Start Time 5:30 PM — Woodbridge Senior Center, 13850 Church Hill Dr., Woodbridge, VA 22191
• [Please be in line by 7:00 pm]
• Saturday, November 14, 2020 | Start Time 9:00 AM — Development Services Building, 5 County Complex, Woodbridge, VA 22192
• [Please be in line by 11:30 am]

COVID-19 Resources:

• Virginia Department of Health website
• Virginia Department of Social Services website
• “Forward Virginia” Guidelines page
• Prince William County COVID-19 page
• Stafford County COVID-19 page

If you need constituent services, please contact our office at DelJCarrollFoy@house.virginia.gov.

Please stay safe and healthy.

Thank you,

Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy